I dont often.....

I don't often post 'warm fuzzy' videos---but this one hit me ---- and I wanted to have it somewhere---and to share it----

define the word 'retired'

 when you think of retirement---you think of , or at least I do----or at least I did----you think of downsizing to a condo, travel, going on a mission, being 65.....gray hair, moving a bit slower....you get the idea.....this is kind of what I pictured:

yeah----this is my idea of retired

okay--i'm having trouble with pictures and spacing....but i'll push on.... please keep reading

so....david retired yesterday after 27 years working for the state of texas....and started today at his new job as executive director for Computers for the Blind----a small non-profit agency based in Richardson (just north of Dallas).  He goes into the 'office' every 2 weeks for a board of directors meeting...... he will work from home in the office we have set up in a corner of our bedroom.  He also continues with his ExpertsonBlindness consulting/expert witness business---- so he has 2 part-time jobs....both from home.... i'm sure we'll be fine.....really----we'll be great

Day 1.....david comes home from meeting with 2 attorneys....eats some chicken wings....changes clothes.... I made spaghetti for dinner---so I ate spaghetti....apparently we have things to still work out....like talking about what is for dinner and what was NOT....and that its NOT okay to talk the entire time I am watching Dance Moms but I have to be quiet during a rerun of Persons of Interest---yes---even after 33 years we still are working out the kinks.

Day 1 evening.....we go to the half price on Tuesday dollar movie to see RIPD (totally redbox it---its a clever silly movie)----after the movie david tells me that 5 minutes INTO the movie, he realized he had seen it before.....I must have been either on a work trip or doing a show at the local community theater.   does anyone else find that to be hilarious?

AND SCARY!!!!!!!!!!!!

retired----we are not downsizing to a condo---we paid off the house..... we are travelling but have been doing that for years....the mission? our goal is 5 years from now (our first one will be in Nauvoo, Illinois---"sunset on the Mississippi"---a musical revue done outdoors--duh--on the banks of the Mississippi river--every night....gray hairs? I call them white highlights....moving slower? I am having foot surgery in November---then no more slower----and, for the record....WE ARE DECADES (alright---decade) AWAY FROM 65!!!

 

retired=twice the husband/half the money

I've never seen anything like it in my life

david and i are not hoarders---but pack rats----probably----and we had 6 kids---and all their stuff---and saved clothes from season to season to hand down---and 8 bikes---and scooters----and memorabilia----and a freezer---and david's tools-----and i bought school supplies in bulk---and toilet paper and .....you get the idea.

and we've always had big cars---big cars that don't fit lengthwise in a garage---or heightwise---so it was easy to just toss stuff in the garage---since the cars wouldn't go in there anyway.

and then the kids started leaving---and we cleaned out their bedrooms----but kept their stuff---in the garage----

then we got the convertible.....and that little girl needs to be in a garage.

so every day i would go thru 2 boxes----stuff from weddings 5 years ago--- and trash or donate it.  the only clothes in there now are my winter clothes.  suitcases are upstairs in the attic----we have 20 empty plastic buckets ready for leah to use to put their stuff in storage----we had a shredded ping pong table (we like ping pong table---but i broke the table)---- but I knew there was light at the end of a tunnel----a very long crowded tunnel

then we got into a tiff-----and i went to the theater to see a show----alone

came home----to this-----

for 33 years our garage has been a joke---one year we asked our sons in law to clean it out for our present----but that mostly meant rearrange-----

I cried when I saw this

awwwww-----lovely september-----lets be cool

Meredith----whats with all the bruises?

new bruise each show!

august was spent performing "A Wrinkle in Time"---my first non-musical performance since high school.....I got to play the part of Mrs. Whatsit------which means I got to play me----an animated me that sparkled with glitter and fell off benches and slid down ramps..... I met some amazing people that I got to learn from----as always----I love the process.

august was stinkin hot----but leah and joe came and worked so hard to help our backyard be greener and lusher----and it is----

august was a couple of Dancing Moose Shows

September----david retired.

WHAT THE WHAT THE WHAT THE???????!!!!!!!!!!!!

David was offered a position as executive director for Computers For the Blind----a small non-profit that takes donated computers and refurbishes them and sends them out internationally to visually-impaired people.....he'll do 20 hrs a week working at home----going into the office for board meetings in Dallas every few weeks.  His job is to grow the company and its branding.....get more professionals on the advisory board.....so he is done working with the state-----he has worked for the state of texas for 28 years! this whole decision thing happened in about 4 days----altho we had been talking about leaving the state job (not leave texas) for awhile.   Now, David may be old enough to retire----but I all of a sudden become the token wife----cause aint NO way i'm old enough!

twice the husband----half the money

i'm still doing Dancing Moose---and David still has 7 cases he is working on---with 2 trials coming up....

we are cleaning out the garage to put the convertible in there----we 've never been able to put a car in the garage----but it is actually happening!

leah and her family are going to be living with us from dec-june ----joe is done with medical school classes and just needs to wait to find out where they are going for residency-----so knowing that we eat different---and our fridge was not big enough for all of us-----we downgraded (well-----in size)---

the nelson's fridge is perfectly happy in the garage!  well---we really didn't ask her if she was happy----but bet she's happy she is about to be filled with all sorts of yummy goodness!

Meredith is doing okay----lots of change----i'm not sure about all that---but i'm certainly seeing the hand of God in my ability to be calm, in opportunities that are opening and blessings that are being afforded..... probably just jinxed myself huh.+

 

I want to get back into things that I took myself out of---ward choir----marching band----yeah-----its time.